September Prayer Letter

Miriam Ford, InterAction Worker – Brussels September Newsletter Avenue de la Couronne, 3/162, 1050 – Ixelles, Brussels, BELGIUM +32 470 579270 [email protected] +44 7738 356096

Hello! (finally!) To start with… sorry this has taken me forever to get around to doing; I wanted to wait until I felt I had things to say, unfortunately I now think I may have too much! This is just a summary and it’s still quite long, please get in touch though, if you’d like to know more!

We

arrived on 3

rd

September, after spending a

great week of training in Kent at the end of August. I had found and moved into a room in a shared student apartment about 2 weeks later, and now, another 2 weeks after that, Lucy has also found and moved into a room. So we’re both pretty much settled here now: we’ve got bank accounts, travel cards, ourwaiting way around and where to do the (me know and lucy for the eurostar) shopping, etc…

So we’re here really to be working with the

GBU

(Groupes Bibliques Universitaires). There are 4, soon to be 5 groups meeting every week in Brussels, as well as 3 or 4 others around the country. They’ve only all really kicked off in the last week or so, so I’m still getting to know people. Most of the students I’ve met are really friendly, and while the culture is quite different to the UK, I am making friends! In the future I’ll be attending the two groups at Wolowé UCL on Mondays at 13h and 19h, and also the new Central Group on Wednesdays at 17h15 at l’Institut Biblique Belge (IBB), currently being set up by two GBU students, to serve the city centre universities and higher education colleges. We met most of the group leaders from around the country at a training day earlier in September, (the Belgian equivalent of Forum so I’m told) where there were 16 of us in total. At the end of October there is going to be a GBU ‘camp’ or house party for all members of the GBU groups around the country, in a town called Spa, where we’ll be studying Revelation.

(My apartment, brown door: 74 steps up!) I’ve found it quite a struggle speaking

French as I feel like I am nowhere near as good as I thought before arriving, and Tim, Emily and Lucy are all pretty much fluent. However, praise God my confidence has grown loads since arriving (I even went into a shop on my own yesterday to ask about setting up the internet) and I’ve been able to sign up for a course of French lessons in a private language school which start next week.

Being a foreign student here, even though I’m not officially studying in a university, has been great! There’s an

Erasmus Student

Network (ESN) here and they’ve put on really great events where I’ve met other foreign students from all over Europe. It’s a great opportunity to both make friends, and share a bit about what I’m doing here and what I believe.

(a very embarrassing day with Erasmus!)

Things to pray: (there’re just so many!)    

    

Thank God for his amazing provision of funds and an apartment with two lovely, francophone flat mates! Thank God that the students are warm and friendly, especially for the encouragement of helping two of them (Alex and Hannah) plan for and set up the new Central Group. For the five of us involved in the central group, as we publicise and start the new group (studying Colossians), we’re hoping to give out 1500 flyers next week sometime. For the camp: that lots of students will come, that we’ll be able to develop relationships and make real lasting friendships, and that we’ll be challenged and encouraged by the preaching on Revelation. For opportunities to study the Bible one to one with students. That I would keep growing in knowledge and confidence in speaking French. That I wouldn’t lose enthusiasm for the work here as it becomes more normal, and wouldn’t start pining for home! That I’d be growing in love and knowledge of God, and become more like Jesus. That I’d settle into a church family and find ways to serve others in it. (I’ve visited four churches and am now trying to decide where to stay!)

Thank you for being interested and for praying for me and the IFES team, and for the GBU as a whole over here. I’ve been so encouraged hearing from you, please keep on keeping in touch! I do get internet access a couple of times a week so I should be able to reply to emails. Or send letters, hopefully I will have soon figured out how to unlock the letter box! Thanks again, love and prayers from

Miriam xx

Word of the Month

“chouette” (adj) - cool

“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26-27